Halo 5 Rumors and Leaks

IGN's Halo 5 Rumors and Leaks page collects information about 343's newest entry into the Halo saga. Since its initial unveiling at E3 2013, Microsoft's next Halo project has been subject to confusion, speculation, and a veil of mystery.

First teased at E3 2013 and confirmed for release in 2014, the next Halo is targeted at the Xbox One platform, utilizes dedicated multiplier servers, and features Master Chief.

February 2014

On a claimed leak in NeoGaf, a user posted some news regarding the new Halo game. The leak claimed that Halo 2 Anniversary will have a Nobember 2014 release, leaving Halo 5 for a 2015 realease date. Since the user who "leaked" this info passed NeoGaf's credibility check it fuelled interest from fans. And since Microsoft has only comfirmed that a "HALO" will be realeased this November the information in the leak seemed more credible.

Later on Phil Spencer gave an interesting answer while been asked on the veracity of the leak on Twitter the image was later posted on NeoGaf: "Sorry, enough "news" this week..."

There was also a "leak" of the Halo 2 Anniversary box on XtraLife, it shows the Halo 2 anniversary box a $50 price and a release date of 11/11/2014

January 2014

On January 9, 2014, 343 Studios released a piece of concept art from Halo for Xbox One. In a post on Halo Waypoint, 343's Josh Holmes revealed a piece of concept art and teased that it's "an early exploration of a new location that features prominently in a little game project we're tinkering with." Click on the image below to enlarge it. [1]

The image appears to show a Covenant Carrier retrofitted for human use, possibly in a human colony. Other technology featured in the image appears to be human in origin, including the massive ship.

Microsoft also confirmed in January, 2014 that the next Halo will be released in 2014. [2]

A few weeks later, a Microsoft spokesperson issues a statement to IGN detailing and clarifying Yu's role in previous Halo projects:

“While we consider Corrinne Yu a part of our founding family and can’t wait to see where her talent takes her in her new role, we wanted to clarify a repeated misconception, most recently on an IGN podcast. Corrinne worked on a branch of our tools team and did not in fact work on either the Halo 4 or Halo 5 engine or graphics at all. Our current tools team will surely miss her enviable intellect, but we felt it fair to both her and 343 Industries to ensure that the nature of her contributions was not being misrepresented."

September 2013

June 2013

Microsoft announces a new Halo at E3 in June, 2013. They confirmed that the game would run on Xbox One, run at sixty frames per second, and utilize dedicated multiplayer servers. The game is scheduled for release in 2014. Microsoft also releases a teaser trailer.

Later in the month, Phil Spencer clarifies that the trailer shown at E3 was not in fact direct footage from Halo 5, but rather a conceptual representation of the direction Microsoft wishes to take with the series. He also confirms that Master Chief is depicted in the trailer.

Rumors

Master Chief's appearance in the next game is confirmed, but very little is known of what role Cortana will play in Halo 5, or whether she will appear at all. The Teaser Trailer appears to show her data chip in Master Chief's right hand as he encounters the Promethean. Whether he intends to resurrect Cortana, whether Cortana still lives, or if Chief is merely remembering her is unknown.

The manner of Cortana's passing while replicated and integrated into a larger computer system suggests Master Chief may encounter her again.

The role of the Covenant and Promethean is also unknown, although the trailer appears to depict an immense Promethean in the snowscape.